Family dinner for three in Yongsan: Jjigaen Jjukkumi octopus grill

One of the places I think of when I'm craving something spicy in Yongsan is Jjigaen Jjukkumi!! This time I visited with my parents and properly tried the octopus with pork belly, aka jjuksamgyeop. Hahaha. Having the pork belly mixed in with the octopus makes it a lot heartier than octopus alone — you get the spicy sauce plus meat, so it works great as a meal or as a drinking snack 💛💛

How to find Jjigaen Jjukkumi in Yongmun Market

Jjigaen Jjukkumi sits inside Yongmun Market, so it's a fun spot to find while browsing the market!! If you're coming by public transit, take Exit 3 of Hyochang Park Station and walk toward Yongmun Market. It's about 500m from the station, so it's not a bad walk at all even taking your time haha.

Walk in through Entrance 1 of Yongmun Market and just a little further in you'll find Jjigaen Jjukkumi!! Since it's inside the market, there are restaurants and shops all around, so it's fun to poke around the alleys — good spot to land on if you're looking for a place to eat near Yongmun Market. If you're driving, it's better to check parking ahead of time and use a nearby lot (no parking support).

Jjigaen Jjukkumi menu and the weeknight evening wait

Here's the menu~ Besides octopus, they also sell kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), dak-hanmari (whole chicken stew), and more. I really wanted the Korean pork rib braise too but they were out of ingredients ㅠㅠ. Gotta try it next time haha.

We went on a weeknight evening and it was packed!! There can be a wait, so keep that in mind haha.

Three servings of jjuksamgyeop for 48,000 won, plus a lunch special

Since this is a spicy octopus spot in Yongsan's Yongmun Market, it seems like a really reasonable option for nearby office workers grabbing the discounted lunch special haha.

Jjuksamgyeop, 3 servings, priced at ₩16,000 per serving, so ₩48,000 total for three! Octopus is one of those dishes you crave every once in a while, right? Especially jjuksamgyeop, stir-fried together with pork belly, which is spicy yet savory — perfect with a drink. The portion isn't huge, so ordering 1-2 extra servings on top of your headcount is a good idea!!!

They give you flying fish roe sauce to dip the octopus in, plus perilla leaves, bean sprouts, and fish cake~

What does jjuksamgyeop taste like? Springy octopus, rich pork belly

Ahh!!!! The octopus-only dish is tasty too, but personally I prefer jjuksamgyeop with the pork belly mixed in, so I was excited ㅠㅠㅠ. They stir-fry the octopus and pork belly together on the griddle, and as it cooks the smell of the spicy sauce rising up made me even hungrier. ㅜㅜㅎㅎㅎ The octopus keeps its springy texture and the pork belly adds a savory, oily richness — the combination worked really well!

I especially liked getting the springy texture of the octopus together with the chewy, savory texture of the pork belly at the same time. The spice level is about rice-craving level, so naturally I kept looking forward to the last course ㅠㅠ

The spicy sauce was evenly coated on both the octopus and the pork belly, so it was delicious eaten plain, and it also went well wrapped in lettuce or with side dishes.

Steamed egg for 5,000 won to cool the spice

There's one dish you shouldn't skip when eating spicy octopus!!! Steamed egg! We ordered one too, priced at ₩5,000~. Eating the soft, fluffy steamed egg in between bites softened the spiciness nicely. Since the octopus stays spicy the whole time, a spoonful of steamed egg here and there made my mouth feel so much more comfortable~~? 💛💛 I personally always order steamed egg when eating spicy food, and I was glad I did again this time hahaha.

Finishing with two flying fish roe fried rice

And of course, what else would you finish a meal like this with but fried rice? We ordered two orders of flying fish roe fried rice. Priced at ₩4,000 each, so ₩8,000 total for two! Once you've eaten most of the octopus, it would be a waste to leave all that leftover sauce behind!!! Frying rice in that sauce basically guarantees good flavor, so I always end up ordering the fried rice. Classic Korean move...

The flying fish roe fried rice was fun to eat with the little pops of roe throughout, and it made a great finishing dish after the octopus. 💛💛💛 The spicy sauce soaked well into the rice, and it's the kind of flavor that keeps you reaching for another spoonful! Even though we were already pretty full from the octopus and pork belly, the fried rice still went down easy. As always, the Korean finishing move is fried rice.

Is Jjigaen Jjukkumi worth it for spicy octopus in Yongsan?

I think the appeal of jjuksamgyeop is being able to enjoy the spicy sauce, the springy texture of the octopus, and the savoriness of the pork belly all at once. 💛 Add in steamed egg to soothe the spice and finish with the flying fish roe fried rice, and the menu combination is unbeatable haha.

If you're craving something spicy in Yongsan or want octopus and pork belly together, this is a place worth visiting. Especially good for going with a group to properly enjoy the jjuksamgyeop and finish it off with the fried rice!! Next time I'll have to try some of the other menu items too. 💛💛